The effects of scalar and pseudoscalar ultralight bosonic dark matter (UBDM) were searched for by comparing the frequency of a quartz oscillator to that of a hyperfine-structure transition in $^{87}$Rb, and an electronic transition in $^{164}$Dy. We constrain linear interactions between a scalar UBDM field and Standard-Model (SM) fields for an underlying UBDM particle mass in the range $1\times10^{-17}-8.3\times10^{-13} $ eV and quadratic interactions between a pseudoscalar UBDM field and SM fields in the range $5\times10^{-18}- 4.1\times10^{-13} $ eV. Within regions of the respective ranges, our constraints on linear interactions significantly improve on results from previous, direct searches for oscillations in atomic parameters, while constraints on quadratic interactions surpass limits imposed by such direct searches as well as by astrophysical observations.
We report new limits on ultralight scalar dark matter (DM) with dilaton-like couplings to photons that can induce oscillations in the fine-structure constant alpha. Atomic dysprosium exhibits an electronic structure with two nearly degenerate levels whose energy splitting is sensitive to changes in alpha. Spectroscopy data for two isotopes of dysprosium over a two-year span is analyzed for coherent oscillations with angular frequencies below 1 rad/s. No signal consistent with a DM coupling is identified, leading to new constraints on dilaton-like photon couplings over a wide mass range. Under …
SpaceQ -- Direct Detection of Ultralight Dark Matter with Space Quantum Sensors
University of California, Irvine（加州大学尔湾分校）；Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory（费米国家加速器实验室）；University of Chicago（芝加哥大学）；The University of Tokyo（东京大学）；University of Delaware（特拉华大学）；National Institute of Standards and Technology（美国国家标准与技术研究院）；University of Maryland（马里兰大学）
We search for ultralight scalar dark matter candidates that induce oscillations of the fine structure constant, the electron and quark masses, and the quantum chromodynamics energy scale with frequency comparison data between an $^{171}$Yb optical lattice clock and a $^{133}$Cs fountain microwave clock that span 298 days with an uptime of 15.4 $\%$. New limits on the couplings of the scalar dark matter to electrons and gluons in the mass range from $10^{-22}$ eV/$c^{2}$ to $10^{-20}$ eV/$c^{2}$ are set, assuming that each of these couplings is the dominant source of the modulation in the frequ…
ZAIGA is a proposed underground long-baseline atom interferometer (AI) facility, aiming for experimental research on gravitation and related problems. In this paper, we study the possibility of detecting the ultralight scalar dark matter (DM) with ZAIGA. According to a popular scalar DM model, the DM field contains a background oscillation term and a local exponential fluctuation term. In order to calculate the proposed constraints on DM coupling parameters, we need to first compute the DM signals in ZAIGA. For the case of two AIs vertically separated by 300 meters, the DM-induced differential…
We conduct frequency comparisons between a state-of-the-art strontium optical lattice clock, a cryogenic crystalline silicon cavity, and a hydrogen maser to set new bounds on the coupling of ultralight dark matter to Standard Model particles and fields in the mass range of $10^{-16}$ $-$ $10^{-21}$ eV. The key advantage of this two-part ratio comparison is the differential sensitivities to time variation of both the fine-structure constant and the electron mass, achieving a substantially improved limit on the moduli of ultralight dark matter, particularly at higher masses than typical atomic s…
We propose an experiment to search for ultralight scalar dark matter (DM) with dilatonic interactions. Such couplings can arise for the dilaton as well as for moduli and axion-like particles in the presence of CP violation. Ultralight dilaton DM acts as a background field that can cause tiny but coherent oscillations in Standard Model parameters such as the fine structure constant and the proton-electron mass ratio. These minute variations can be detected through precise frequency comparisons of atomic clocks. Our experiment extends current searches for drifts in fundamental constants to the w…
We present a search for fundamental constant oscillations in the range $20$~kHz-$100$ MHz, that may arise within models for ultralight dark matter (UDM). Using two independent, significantly upgraded optical-spectroscopy apparatus, we achieve up to $\times$1000 greater sensitivity in the search relative to previous work. We report no observation of UDM and thus constrain respective couplings to electrons and photons within the investigated UDM particle mass range $8\cdot 10^{-11}-4\cdot 10^{-7}$ eV. The constraints significantly exceed previously set bounds, and as we show, may surpass in futu…
We analyze the prospects of employing a distributed global network of precision measurement devices as a dark matter and exotic physics observatory. In particular, we consider the atomic clocks of the Global Positioning System (GPS), consisting of a constellation of 32 medium-Earth orbit satellites equipped with either Cs or Rb microwave clocks and a number of Earth-based receiver stations, some of which employ highly-stable H-maser atomic clocks. High-accuracy timing data is available for almost two decades. By analyzing the satellite and terrestrial atomic clock data, it is possible to searc…
Atom interferometry is a powerful experimental technique that can be employed to search for the oscillation of atomic transition energies induced by ultralight scalar dark matter (ULDM). Previous studies have focused on the sensitivity to ULDM of km-length atom gradiometers, where atom interferometers are located at the ends of very long baselines. In this work, we generalize the treatment of the time-dependent signal induced by a linearly-coupled scalar ULDM candidate for vertical atom gradiometers of any length and find correction factors that especially impact the ULDM signal in short-basel…
Probing Ultralight Dark Matter at the Mega-Planck Scale with the Thorium Nuclear Clock
University of Delaware（特拉华大学）；High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)（高能加速器研究机构）；JILA, NIST and University of Colorado（JILA、美国国家标准与技术研究院和科罗拉多大学）；University of Colorado（科罗拉多大学）；Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY（德国电子同步辐射研究所）；Leibniz Universität Hannover（汉诺威莱布尼茨大学）；Weizmann Institute of Science（魏茨曼科学研究所）；Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt（德国物理技术联邦研究院）
A possible implication of an ultralight dark matter (UDM) field interacting wibeginth the Standard Model (SM) degrees of freedom is oscillations of fundamental constants. Here, we establish direct experimental bounds on the coupling of an oscillating UDM field to the up, down, and strange quarks and to the gluons, for oscillation frequencies between 10 Hz and 10^8 Hz. We employ spectroscopic experiments that take advantage of the dependence of molecular transition frequencies on the nuclear masses. Our results apply to previously unexplored frequency bands, and improve on existing bounds at fr…
The prospects of studying nonminimal operators for Lorentz violation using spectroscopy experiments with light atoms and muon spin-precession experiments are presented. Possible improvements on bounds on minimal and nonminimal operators for Lorentz violation are discussed.
We study the environmental dependence of ultralight scalar dark matter (DM) with linear interactions to the standard model particles. The solution to the DM field turns out to be a sum of the cosmic harmonic oscillation term and the local exponential fluctuation term. The amplitude of the first term depends on the local DM density and the mass of the DM field. The second term is induced by the local distribution of matter, such as the Earth. And it depends not only on the mass of the Earth, but also the density of the Earth. Then, we compute the phase shift induced by the DM field in atom inte…
Precision atomic spectroscopy provides a solid model independent bound on the existence of new dark forces among the atomic constituents. We focus on the keV-GeV region investigating the sensitivity to such dark sectors of the recent measurements on muonic atoms at PSI. To this end we develop for the first time, the effective field theory that describes the leading effect of a new (pseudo-)vector or a (pseudo-)scalar particle of any mass at atomic energies. We identify in the Lamb Shift measurement in muonic deuterium ($μ$D) and the $2s$ Hyperfine Splitting (HFS) in muonic hydrogen ($μ$H) the …
Among the prominent candidates for dark matter are bosonic fields with small scalar couplings to the Standard-Model particles. Several techniques are employed to search for such couplings and the current best constraints are derived from tests of gravity or atomic probes. In experiments employing atoms, observables would arise from expected dark-matter-induced oscillations in the fundamental constants of nature. These studies are primarily sensitive to underlying particle masses below $10^{-14}$ eV. We present a method to search for fast oscillations of fundamental constants using atomic spect…
We show that gravitational wave detectors based on a type of atom interferometry are sensitive to ultralight scalar dark matter. Such dark matter can cause temporal oscillations in fundamental constants with a frequency set by the dark matter mass, and amplitude determined by the local dark matter density. The result is a modulation of atomic transition energies. This signal is ideally suited to a type of gravitational wave detector that compares two spatially separated atom interferometers referenced by a common laser. Such a detector can improve on current searches for electron-mass or elect…
We present a technique for simultaneous laser frequency stabilization on transitions of multiple atomic species with a single optical setup. The method is based on modulation transfer spectroscopy and the signals are separated by modulating at different frequencies and electronically filtered. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate simultaneous spectroscopy of the potassium D$_1$, D$_2$ and rubidium D$_2$ transitions. The technique can easily be extended to other atomic species and allows the development of versatile and compact frequency reference modules.
We present a method for recovery of narrow homogeneous spectral features out of broad inhomogeneous overlapped profile based on second-derivative processing of the absorption spectra of alkali metal atomic vapor nanocells. The method is shown to preserve the frequency positions and amplitudes of spectral transitions, thus being applicable for quantitative spectroscopy. The proposed technique was successfully applied and tested for: measurements of hyperfine splitting and atomic transition probabilities; development of an atomic frequency reference; determination of isotopic abundance; study of…
Frequency comb based multidimensional coherent spectroscopy is a novel optical method that enables high resolution measurement in a short acquisition time. The method's resolution makes multidimensional coherent spectroscopy relevant for atomic systems that have narrow resonances. We use double-quantum multidimensional coherent spectroscopy to reveal collective hyperfine resonances in rubidium vapor at 100 C induced by dipole-dipole interactions. We observe tilted lineshapes in the double-quantum 2D spectra, which has never been reported for Doppler-broadened systems. The tilted lineshapes sug…
We develop a method for extracting the physical parameters of interest for a dipole trapped cold atomic ensemble. This technique uses the spatially dependent ac-Stark shift of the trap itself to project the atomic distribution onto a light-shift broadened transmission spectrum. We develop a model that connects the atomic distribution with the expected transmission spectrum. We then demonstrate the utility of the technique by deriving the temperature, trap depth, lifetime, and trapped atom number from data that was taken in a single shot experimental measurement.
Direct frequency-comb spectroscopy is used to probe the absolute frequencies of $6S_{1/2}$-$8S_{1/2}$ two-photon transitions of atomic cesium in hot vapor environment. By utilizing the coherent control method of temporally splitting the laser spectrum above and below the two-photon resonance frequency, Doppler-free absorption is built in two spatially distinct locations and imaged for high-precision spectroscopy. Theoretical analysis finds that these transition lines are measured with uncertainty below $5\times10^{-10}$, mainly contributed from laser-induced AC Stark shift.
The ASACUSA collaboration aims to measure the ground state hyperfine splitting (GS-HFS) of antihydrogen, the antimatter pendant to atomic hydrogen. Comparisons of the corresponding transitions in those two systems will provide sensitive tests of the CPT symmetry, the combination of the three discrete symmetries charge conjugation, parity, and time reversal. For offline tests of the GS-HFS spectroscopy apparatus we constructed a source of cold polarised atomic hydrogen. In these proceedings we report the successful observation of the hyperfine structure transitions of atomic hydrogen with our a…
In this work we perform polarization spectroscopy of erbium atoms in a hollow cathode lamp (HCL) for the stabilization of a diode laser to the 401-nm transition. We review the theory behind Doppler-free polarization spectroscopy, theoretically model the expected erbium polarization spectra, and compare the numerically calculated spectra to our experimental data. We further analyze the dependence of the measured spectra on the HCL current and the peak intensities of our pump and probe lasers to determine conditions for optimal laser stabilization.
The exchange of a pair of low-mass neutrinos between electrons, protons and neutrons produces a "long-range" $1/r^5$ potential, which can be sought for in phenomena originating on the atomic and sub-atomic length scales. We calculate the effects of neutrino-pair exchange on transition and binding energies in atoms and nuclei. In the case of atomic s-wave states, there is a large enhancement of the induced energy shifts due to the lack of a centrifugal barrier and the highly singular nature of the neutrino-mediated potential. We derive limits on neutrino-mediated forces from measurements of the…
We analyze possible effects of the dark matter environment on the atomic clock stability measurements. The dark matter is assumed to exist in a form of waves of ultralight scalar fields or in a form of topological defects (monopoles and strings). We identify dark matter signal signatures in clock Allan deviation plots that can be used to constrain the dark matter coupling to the Standard Model fields. The existing data on the Al+/Hg+ clock comparison are used to put new limits on the dilaton dark matter in the region of masses m > 10^{-15} eV. We also estimate the sensitivities of future atomi…
We report the evaluation of the second order Zeeman shift in the continuous atomic fountain clock FoCS-2. Because of the continuous operation and of its geometrical constraints, the methods used in pulsed fountains are not applicable. We use here time-resolved Zeeman spectroscopy to probe the magnetic field profile in the clock. The pulses of ac magnetic excitation allow us to spatially resolve the Zeeman frequency and to evaluate the Zeeman shift with a relative uncertainty smaller than 10E-16.
The phase noise of incident light fields can be converted into amplitude noise via absorption and dispersion effects in media under electromagnetically induced transparency. The conversion process is sensitive to two-photon detuning. This effect can be used to perform a novel type of Rydberg spectroscopy. We present experimental measurements of the phase noise spectrum (PNS) with Rydberg atoms in a cesium vapor cell. Furthermore, to explore microwave field measurements, a modulation-enhanced PNS approach is proposed.
The erbium atomic system is a promising candidate for an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate of atoms with a non-vanishing orbital angular momentum ($L \neq 0$) of the electronic ground state. In this paper we report on the frequency stabilization of a blue external cavity diode laser system on the 400.91 $nm$ laser cooling transition of atomic erbium. Doppler-free saturation spectroscopy is applied within a hollow cathode discharge tube to the corresponding electronic transition of several of the erbium isotopes. Using the technique of frequency modulation spectroscopy, a zero-crossing error sign…
Low-mass (sub-eV) spin-0 dark matter particles, which form a coherently oscillating classical field $ϕ= ϕ_0 \cos(m_ϕt)$, can induce oscillating variations in the fundamental constants through their interactions with the Standard Model sector. We calculate the effects of such possible interactions, which may include the linear interaction of $ϕ$ with the Higgs boson, on atomic and molecular transitions. Using recent atomic clock spectroscopy measurements, we derive new limits on the linear interaction of $ϕ$ with the Higgs boson, as well as its quadratic interactions with the photon and light q…
Cosmological observations indicate that 85% of all matter in the Universe is dark matter (DM), yet its microscopic composition remains a mystery. One hypothesis is that DM arises from ultralight quantum fields that form macroscopic objects such as topological defects. Here we use GPS as a ~ 50,000 km aperture DM detector to search for such defects in the form of domain walls. GPS navigation relies on precision timing signals furnished by atomic clocks hosted on board GPS satellites. As the Earth moves through the galactic DM halo, interactions with topological defects could cause atomic clock …
We investigated the Autler-Townes splitting produced by microwave transitions between atomic Rydberg states explored by optical spectroscopy from the ground electronic state. The laser-atom Hamiltonian describing the double irradiation of such a multilevel system is analysed on the basis of the Morris-Shore transformation. The application of this transformation to the microwave-dressed atomic system allows the identification of bright, dark, and spectator states associated with different configurations of atomic states and microwave polarisation. We derived synthetic spectra that show the main…
A new approach to precise determination of atomic matrix elements is described whereby measurement of spectral locations of zeros in the Rayleigh scattering cross-section allows frequency-domain extraction of matrix elements in terms of a fiducial quantity. Illustrations are made for scattering off the ground state in Li and Cs.
We present a detailed analysis of an application of frequency modulation (FM) spectroscopy in the high modulation depth limit. We have recently completed and reported a measurement of the Stark shift in the indium $5p_{1/2}\rightarrow 6s_{1/2}$ 410 nm transition using this spectroscopy method [Ranjit, et al. Phys. Rev. A 87, 032506 (2013)]. FM spectroscopy proved essential to resolve spectroscopic features in an atomic beam where the optical depth was $\sim 10^{-3}$. A dual-modulation scheme is described which ensures truly background-free FM signals even in the low-density limit. Lock-in dete…
Atoms constitute relatively simple many-body systems, making them suitable objects for developing an understanding of basic aspects of many-body physics. Photoabsorption spectroscopy is a prominent method to study the electronic structure of atoms and the inherent many-body interactions. In this article the impact of many-body effects on well-known spectroscopic features such as Rydberg series, Fano resonances, Cooper minima, and giant resonances is studied, and related many-body phenomena in other fields are outlined. To calculate photoabsorption cross sections the time-dependent configuratio…
We demonstrate that conventional modulated spectroscopy apparatus, used for laser frequency stabilization in many atomic physics laboratories, can be enhanced to provide a wideband lock delivering deep suppression of frequency noise across the acoustic range. Using an acousto-optic modulator driven with an agile oscillator, we show that wideband frequency modulation of the pump laser in modulation transfer spectroscopy produces the unique single lock-point spectrum previously demonstrated with electro-optic phase modulation. We achieve a laser lock with 100 kHz feedback bandwidth, limited by o…
We have completed a measurement of the Stark shift within the $^{115}$In $6s_{1/2} \rightarrow 6p_{1/2}$ excited-state transition using two-step laser spectroscopy in an indium atomic beam. Combining this measurement with recent experimental results we determine the scalar polarizability, $α_{0}$, of the $6p_{1/2}$ state to be $7683 \pm43 \,a_{0}^{3}$ in atomic units, a result which agrees very well with recent theoretical calculations. In this experiment, one laser, stabilized to the $5p_{1/2} \rightarrow 6s_{1/2}$ 410~nm transition, was directed transversely to the atomic beam, while a secon…
The mid-term fractional frequency stability of miniaturized atomic clocks can be limited by light-shift effects. In this Letter, we demonstrate the implementation of a symmetric Auto-Balanced Ramsey (SABR) interrogation sequence in a microcell-based atomic clock based on coherent population trapping (CPT). Using this advanced protocol, the sensitivity of the clock frequency to laser power, microwave power and laser frequency variations is reduced, at least by one order of magnitude, in comparison with continuous-wave (CW) or Ramsey interrogation schemes. Light-shift mitigation obtained with th…
We present an experimental and theoretical investigation of two-photon direct frequency-comb spectroscopy performed through velocity-selective excitation. In particular, we explore the effect of repetition rate on the $\textrm{5S}_{1/2}\rightarrow \textrm{5D}_{3/2, 5/2}$ two-photon transitions excited in a rubidium atomic vapor cell. The transitions occur via step-wise excitation through the $\textrm{5P}_{1/2, 3/2}$ states by use of the direct output of an optical frequency comb. Experiments were performed with two different frequency combs, one with a repetition rate of $\approx 925$ MHz and …
The dynamics of spontaneous emission of an atomic system is studied in the framework of an open quantum system. The resulting quantum master equation for the atomic system is non hermitian. The generator $\mathcal{L}$ can possess non-hermitian degeneracies, i.e. exceptional points ($EP$), for specific values of the external laser driving amplitude and detuning from the atomic lines. We suggest to employ the special properties of these $EP$s for accurate parameter estimation. The method is demonstrated for the atomic spectrum of $S \rightarrow P$ transitions of $~^{85}$Rb and $~^{40}$Ca$~^+$.
Spectroscopy is an essential tool in understanding and manipulating quantum systems, such as atoms and molecules. The model describing spectroscopy includes a multipole-field interaction, which leads to established spectroscopic selection rules, and an interaction that is quadratic in the field, which is often neglected. However, spectroscopy using the quadratic (ponderomotive) interaction promises two significant advantages over spectroscopy using the multipole-field interaction: flexible transition rules and vastly improved spatial addressability of the quantum system. For the first time, we…
We present an experimental determination of the $4 \: S_{1/2} \rightarrow 6\: S_{1/2}$ transition frequency in atomic potassium, $^{39}$K, using direct frequency comb spectroscopy. The output of a stabilized optical frequency comb was used to excite a thermal atomic vapor. The repetition rate of the frequency comb was scanned and the transitions were excited using step-wise two-photon excitation. The center of gravity frequency for the transition was found to be $ν_\textrm{cog} = 822\, 951\, 698.09(13)$ MHz and the measured hyperfine $A$ coefficient of the $6\: S_{1/2}$ state was $21.93(11)$ M…
The progress and the chronology in understanding the influence of electron correlations on the electronic structure of atoms and the dynamics of atomic processes are reviewed focusing on benchmark rare-gas atoms. The contributions and the chronological development of Photon-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy (PIFS), measuring {} dispersed-fluorescence emission cross sections upon excitation by single photons provided by monochromatized synchrotron radiation is described. Selected experimental results obtained by complementary techniques are also discussed for comparison. The basic suites of com…
Absolute {\it K}-shell photoionization cross sections for atomic nitrogen have been obtained from both experiment and state-of-the-art theoretical techniques. Due to the difficulty of creating a target of neutral atomic nitrogen, no high-resolution {\it K}-edge spectroscopy measurements have been reported for this important atom. Interplay between theory and experiment enabled identification and characterization of the strong $1s$ $\rightarrow$ $np$ resonance features throughout the threshold region. An experimental value of 409.64 $\pm$ 0.02 eV was determined for the {\it K}-shell binding ene…
